Stand Fast! Training in the Earth...

Bansho was a man who believed in the power of self enhancement. Even as the stand in Tsuchikage, he was regarded as the strongest man in all of the country of Earth. While that may not have necessarily been true, the people of the country believed it to be so. It was these beliefs that had inspired Bansho to begin training again. He had been lucky in life to be blessed with many things. A remarkable affinity towards Ninjutsu, the opportunity to be blessed with a remarkable childhood filled with many achievements, and nicknames that carried his weight around all corners of the Great Nations. But with these alone he could not be the greatest shinobi he could be. He thought back to the days of his youth, his promise to himself.

"I will prove to the world that even a boy without a father can become the greatest shinobi to ever live!"

A smile covered his face, it was strange. Something that had drove him so much as a child that was really such a petty thing. But it was such strength that had brought him to where he was today, a child and shinobi of pure determination had rose to the rank of Tsuchikage, a leader in a long line of great men and women who had protected the village with their lives. He reached up and clutched the area over his heart, it was such a thing that had brought him to this very moment and it brought him more strength to succeed. He had to prove to the world that he was the greatest shinobi to ever live, and he would do it here in this very moment.

With these trainings that he was going to dedicate himself too, he would increase his strength tenfold!

A few days later...

Bansho had over worn his combat gear and the amount of holes and stains was quite ridiculous. He had been working hard increasing his skills in Fuinjutsu and Genjutsu, his skill in them had improved leaps and bounds and he believed that he had received a rather adept understanding in both fields. But today he knew that he had one weakness that he needed to address, and that was his range of elements. As he walked towards the training field in the Pits that he had specially manipulated with his earthen techniques into a more suitable training center for himself he contemplated this weakness.

As a Tsuchikage his range of elements was perfectly suited to the combat style that he had been taught so long ago in the halls of the Yoroyuza clan. A combination of Doton and Katon went hand and hand with the kekkei genkai Yuton that flowed through his veins. But something was missing from this, a core weakness that limited him. All three of his elements were easily countered, two of them by Suiton chakra and although the third was strong against Water Release his main offensive came from the dual blend of Oil and Fire.

Bansho needed a few more options. Ninjutsu was his strongest offensive capability, he didn't have the time or the body to dedicate himself to another form of fighting that he could use in combat situations like weaponry or Taijutsu. Sure, he had reached a higher standard in Fuinjutsu and Genjutsu but such styles were easily countered by those with a similar mastery. They weren't exactly crutches, but rather... Additives to what he already had.

He had arrived at the training field he had designed for himself and took the necessary gear he had brought and set it down on the ground as he started to stretch his body in preparation for the chakra manipulation he was going to put his body through. As a child he had taken the specially designed test that the instructors had given him to determine his main form of elemental affinity. Of course he had been one of the anomaly children that had TWO main affinities, these being Katon and Doton the elements which combined to make his kekkei genkai. But as a kid the instructors had told him the different elements which he was most suited and would have the easiest time of learning, that element was Water Release.

It was ironic really. The element which would give him the most trouble in combat was an element that his body was most easily adapted too. A side note came into his head that he made sure to remember, this being that Lightning and then Wind were the next two in order of difficulty for his body and chakra to manipulate. But not getting ahead of himself he finished stretching and then started to go through the materials he had brought.

As a Jounin, he was taught the necessary skills needed to teach elemental training to the younger generation as was required in case he ever was given a squad. These skills however served a dual purpose in that they could be used to teach yourself these elemental releases.

Bansho had with his three scrolls, two of which were filled with water that he would use as a base for learning the element. The third was filled with information on Water Release chakra. Taking a deep breath, he opened the two scrolls filled with water and set them in front of him, one in front of the other. He then sat down and crossed his legs and straightened his posture and began to read through the scroll...

Water Release chakra is many things, it is both calm and soothing and also as fierce as the great oceans. Those wishing to learn how to manipulate the element must remember that this chakra is as flowing as the waters themselves. It cannot be contained, it can however be maintained as expert Water Release practitioners have demonstrated time and time again. The techniques that can be employed by Water Release users have two major demonstrations. The first is the concussive force used by the technique to cause damage to the body of the enemy and the second, is the application of drowning and water pressure, most often techniques of higher levels will use the second application although classics such as the infamous Water Dragon technique use the first application to deadly efficiency. Water is overwhelming, strong, and very technical. Shinobi who use Ijutsu have often developed an affinity for water because of it's powerful healing applications.

Remember three things when beginning to use chakra kneaded through the Water Release. The first thing you must remember is that water is far more vast than you can ever be, you must respect it! If you do not respect it you will not be able to truly manipulate it. Secondly you must remember to weave the signs as fluidly as possible, this will be easy for those of you who have studied Ninjutsu for years but for you younger children hand seal specifics must be on par. The third and final thing you must remember is that out of all the elements, water is one of the most dangerous to you as well. There have been many legends of shinobi that have gotten caught out by water techniques of their own design.

Good luck shinobi and remember these lessons in all of your Water Release jutsu, continue to train and one day you may find that your level of skill rivals that of the esteemed Water Release users who can create water without a source nearby.

The scroll ended there. Bansho re-read it once again just to be sure that he understood it's contents. He personally knew the volatility of water as he had witnessed a Genin drown himself in the Chunin exams of his youth. It had been a terrible sight to behold and not something that would ever leave the mind of Bansho. The lessons demonstrated in the scroll were all things that he had already known or incorporated into his ways. So the next application of course would actually be kneading his chakra and manipulating the water.

Bansho stood up and placed his hands together making the seal of Dragon and pressing it against his chest. He took out a chakra modifier scroll and placed it into his mouth. Special scrolls sealed together by the Sealing Corps that more easily allowed large amounts of chakra to be pinpointed and precise when being summoned from within the chakra network. They were masterfully designed in short to make it easier to manipulate chakra into it's purest form.

With this done, Bansho started to unwrap his arms slightly, letting the bandages hand loosely on his arms while he more firmly pressed the Dragon seal against his chest. With his foot he quickly opened both of the scrolls that had the water sealed into them and slammed his foot down on each one in succession, pouring his chakra into them and releasing the seal. Great volumes of water began to pour loose from the scrolls. Bansho's brilliant design of his training field began to play into effect.

He had made it into a lowered oval, and had some of his fellow shinobi help him mold the chakra into the walls and the ground so that nothing could seep through. Essentially, he had created a pool where the water couldn't leak through. It was in here that he could do his elemental training... While the water had begun to pour from the scrolls, he had made sure to release his Dragon seal and grab his bag, it's contents containing two extra scrolls with which he could reseal the water into. Taking a deep breath he then closed his eyes and bit down on the scroll in his mouth assuring that it's effects would take place. With all the preparations complete it was now time to manipulate the water using his chakra.

He placed his hands against his chest again in the seal of the Dragon, but this time he began to run through a series of seals and at the same time began to knead his chakra from his chakra core into his chakra network. The amounts of chakra began to seep from his body, blue tendrils of chakra coming off of his shoulders and back and disappearing the higher they rose. With a deep breath suddenly Bansho released all the built up chakra all at once. Filling his entire chakra network with a vast amount that he could knead and manipulate. When this was done he stopped the initial set of handseals he was using to build his chakra with and then looked down at the pool of water.

The next step was to actually use the water with his chakra. He thought of different ways he could do this, but he settled with the tried and true method taught in the academy. Focusing on a point in the water he would first make it ripple, and once he was capable of making a series of ripples he would then start to use the water to create small "quakes" in the water, and once he had achieved the second step the third and most difficult step was to surround one's body in a sphere of water chakra. But saying and doing were two very, very different things. For the next four hours, the Tsuchikage spent his time in the water which turned lukewarm from his effort. Manipulating the chakra, this was far less difficult for him than it would have been as a child, but his chakra network had grown since those days as well as his stamina.

But after these long four hours, Bansho had managed to go through the steps, and at the end of this he had discovered that he was capable of making a sphere of chakra around himself. He had used up quite a bit of chakra doing so, but he finally had done it. But he was not done yet, he had one final step that he had to achieve before he could consider his training complete. He had to perform a basic water Ninjutsu. As time went on he would learn higher and higher leveled Suiton techniques, but for now he had brought the knowledge on one very simply particular one. Water Release: Hiding in Water Technique. This technique had first been used in the village of Kirigakure no Sato but luckily someone had brought it out and taught it to the shinobi of the world.

The technique was a basic D-Rank technique, but he didn't dare think to perform something more advanced, he had just learned the element and although he could feel the chakra nature fusing itself into his core and becoming part of himself. He could not overdo it and get ahead of himself. He was not a young and rash boy, he knew his limits and he knew what standards he could meet.

Taking a small piece of paper out of his bag, he held it in one hand and bent his knees to take a stance more attuned to manipulating chakra for jutsus. The seals necessary were Dog followed by Ram, and then Dragon. He read the tidbits on the jutsu and the necessities for performing the technique and with a nod he placed the piece of paper back into his bag. Looking down at his hands, he quickly formulated the seals together with the speed of a master and then with a deep breath he said, "Water Release: Hiding in Water Technique!"

He could feel his body melting into the water as the jutsu activated with his kneaded Suiton chakra. As his head went under he expected he would have to hold his breath but that was not it... It was almost as if, he had become water itself. He could still see, he could still hear, and he could feel the water flowing around him but he himself had become the water. This feeling was so new to the Tsuchikage that for a second he had completely forgotten that he was a thirty-five year old man. This wonder was the wonder of a young child. But he no longer had the time to marvel about this as he still had many things he needed to do in his office.

Now that he had done all the training he had needed to do, it was merely a matter of cleaning up. This training had been extremely important to the man, as it offered a means to an end. A whole new element for him to explore and utilize in his Ninjutsu, this wasn't something that any shinobi should take lightly. Such a feat was rare in the ninja world. But he had done it and he had proved to himself that he was capable of rolling with the punches and learning difficult things.

After sealing the water back into the scrolls, he put everything back into his bag and rerolled the cotton strips on his arms back tightly. He started to make his way towards the Sealing Corps headquarters so that he could give them back the items he had borrowed and then once he had done so he had a nice stack of paperwork to process... But at least he would never go dehydrated ever again.

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Spoiler:

Ever since Bansho had unlocked the Water Release chakra dwelling within him, he had discovered more and more useful applications of the element. He had gone to work creating techniques that he could employ in combat. He had already started a secret scroll with techniques gathered around the village and techniques that had been taken from all across the shinobi world. Three such techniques he had found in the scroll had caught his eye. So it was on a Tuesday that he had managed to nab the time to go down to the training field to work on them. The special training field that he created had been upgraded since the time he had gone to work on his Water Release training, with the addition of a small reservoir of water that he could draw from to practice with. The simplicity of technology of the shinobi world never seemed to amaze him, the abilities to throw around fire hotter than any normal man was capable of creating, the ability to create mountains and yet they were limited so much. But it was not Bansho's job to create things, he left that to the Yoroyuza family members in the Engineering Branch. The unsung heroes of Iwagakure that kept everything running smoothly.

As the young man made his way through the village towards the village training pits. He kept a smile on his face, greeting the friendly villagers that went about their business. He had been the Tsuchikage for quite some time, and he felt as if he had done a decent job. Everything was prospering, the people appeared to be happy and there was peace throughout the village. Aside from a few reports of violent ninja appearing in the countryside there was really no problems going on throughout the village. It made his heart feel good to know that so far under his watchful eye, the village was safe.

He had arrived at the pits with newly stitched combat wear, the old ladies in the village were as skillful with a needle and thread as Bansho was with Ninjutsu. The outfit fit perfectly and had even had a few small upgrades done to it. With the same smile adorning his features, he took off his bag and set it aside on a small wooden table he had created with the help of craftsmen that he put on the outskirts of his training field. The recent changes he had made to the training field were mainly visual. Three raised squares of earth with several targets all over it and several dummies had been mounted in a circle surrounding him, brimming with kunai launchers.

The jutsu that Bansho was going to teach himself weren't the most powerful jutsus in the large arsenal of Suiton techniques, but they showed great promise. The first was known as Leviathan Shot and this technique had been said to have killed one of the most powerful missing nin to ever live after it pierced his heart from an unknown assailant. The particular version that Bansho had read about though did not detail how to make the shots sharpened, but instead taught how to make them extremely blunt, delivering a large amount of force on impact. The second technique that he had read about was known as the Floating Water Barrier, a defensive Ninjutsu that created a shield of water chakra and could block many different kinds of threats, this jutsu was rumored to have been discovered during one of the Great Shinobi Wars as a means of blocking a volley of kunais that had blocked out the sun. The third and final technique was called the Dance of the Swordfish, this jutsu's history was rooted in the Suiton series of jutsu that had been developed by one of the most infamous missing nin in history, Hoshigaki Kisame's Water Shark jutsus, this particular one lacked the raw power of the Water Shark techniques, but what it lacked in raw power it made up for in it's annoying ability to continually damage an opponent until he or she was forced to find a way to rectify it.

It was these three jutsus that Bansho had decided to learn in order to really get a solid base in Water Release techniques. Each one finely crafted for a specific purpose, it wasn't the power of a jutsu that caught Bansho's eyes, it was the technicality that he could put behind it, the combinations that were possible in all jutsus. It was this methodology that had drove Bansho to learn the amount of jutsus that he knew, for he was of the mindset that every jutsu could work in combination with all others as long as you had the cleverness to find it. As Bansho began his stretches and basic chakra exercises he began to breath, finding the raw chakra inside of himself he began to knead it through his chakra network so that he could change it into Water Release chakra. Once he had done so he began to go through a series of handseals to loosen his hands and finalize the chakra amounts running through his body. The handseals were unconnected to any jutsu that Bansho knew, they were merely to loosen himself up.

Now that he had managed to get himself comfortable, he started to go through the proper amount of handseals for the first jutsu that he wanted to learn, the Leviathan Shot. The handseals that were listed were Ox, followed by Hare, Monkey, Tiger, and then Dragon to finish. When learning new jutsu Bansho always made sure to go slower than usual so that he could get the muscle mimicry he needed to perform the seals as fast as he was truly capable. Once he ran through the seals a few times with his eyes shut to make sure he had memorized the pattern. He nodded once and opened his eyes, a determined look adorned his face followed by a furrowed brow as he kneaded his chakra this time and performed the seals. Once he had done so he quickly held his hand out towards the reservoir of water and shakily at first the water rose and began to travel towards him, slow at first but then picking up speed as he raised and lowered the amount of chakra by minute amounts until he had found the perfect amount to use the technique. For the next few hours the Tsuchikage abused the targets that he had mounted, shattering them with the concussive force of the jutsu. He practiced both the one spear and three spear variant until his accuracy was quite good and once he had finished firing the jutsu once more he nodded to himself and rubbed his wrists. Leviathan Shot had become more than a technique on a scroll, it had become a jutsu in the arsenal of the Tsuchikage.

Nodding to himself once again, he started to drill himself once again, going through a series of handseals to loosen his fingers and realign the chakra in his body so that it would be simpler to create Water Release chakra. The next jutsu that he was training himself on was the Floating Water Barrier, this jutsu (as he had earlier though about) not only had been created during a Shinobi World War, but it also had been a Kirigakure exclusive jutsu for many, many years. It was stolen by Kiyo of the Mist. A former Hunter-Nin gone Missing-Nin that used her knowledge of the Suiton element to open up a school in a hidden village lost to legend and teach many techniques forbidden to leave the village of Kirigakure under pain of death. Such a thing was very common in the ninja world, throughout his time as a Jounin he himself had seen other ninja from other villages use jutsu that had been created and used solely in Iwagakure before being stolen through various means. When you lived in a world where everyone was a master of hiding in the shadows, keeping your valuables to yourself was especially difficult, especially when your valuables were tools of war.

In any case though, the history lesson didn't matter. As Bansho prepared himself, he went through the series of seals that were used to formulate this jutsu, the seals were very similar to the seals used in the Leviathan Shot with a few key differences, these being that the Leviathan Shot used seals more affiliated with offensive techniques. Dog, followed by Ox, Hare, Boar, and then finished by Dragon. Once again Bansho slowly went through the series of seals until he had memorized the combination and then began to allow his chakra to flow through his network. Raising his hand in front of his body, the water from the reservoir made it's way over to him before manifesting into a shield that he held in front of himself. It was at this moment that he activated the several dummies rigged with the kunai launchers.

You can guess what the next few hours detailed, at first the technique struggled to be activated and Bansho even ate a kunai directly to the shoulder, although it was nothing that was crippling or would keep him from continuing his training, it did serve to show him that this technique was harder to grasp than the one before it. After having pulled the kunai out and fixed his shoulder up with a basic med kit he kept in his bag, he continued to practice with the Flying Water Barrier, making sure that his level of use with the jutsu was on par with the level of Ninjutsu that he was capable of producing... A mastery...

After several hours of continuing to practice with this technique, he had learned a few tricks and nuances to it and with this knowledge he knew he was able to use the technique to his advantage in a combat situation. The sun was now close to setting but the Tsuchikage was not done, he had one more jutsu to finesse before he could go back to his office for some R&R, the final technique was of course the Water Release: Dance of the Swordfish Technique. As he had mentioned, this jutsu was created through the lineage of Kisame's Water Shark tree. But another fun fact of this jutsu was that it also had been used by shinobi fishermen in a few different shinobi villages to scare fish into the fishermen's nets. It had also served a very unique purpose during the "Battle of Hotogai Hill" during the skirmishes between the Land of Tea's and the Land of Bird's hired shinobi. When the Land of Tea was driven back to a pass with a waterfall, the Land of Bird's shinobi attempted to cross the river, not realizing that a famous Suiton practitioner was among them. With this jutsu replicated over a hundred times, he created an army of swordfish that overwhelmed the Land of Bird's mercenaries and won the day for the Land of Tea.

Bansho once again went through his pre-jutsu exercises and once again he started to memorize the combination of handseals, this jutsu had two more than the two previous jutsus, the combination of seals went: Ox, Boar, Hare, Monkey, Snake, Tiger, and finished by Dragon. This jutsu combination was incredulously similar to both of the previous jutsus, something that Bansho had not noticed before. However, he shook this off to coincidence and started to begin the training.

Using both the remaining targets and some of the wooden dummies, he practiced this jutsu. At first he was only able to create a few of the swordfish, but as time went on he was able to reach the maximum amount of swordfish. Once he had done so, the sun had since set and he knew that he had many things waiting for him back at his office. Gathering up his bag he began his journey back, pulling a cigarette out from his pack that he had bought just that day and lighting it with a special lighter crafted by the Engineers of the Yoroyuza clan. A smile etched on his face as he knew that today, he had accomplished something great...

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